Voices of the Soul
by Essie Aster
Summary: The Gundam Pilots encounter a discarded Oz experiment on the human psyche.
1. Silent Whispers

A/N: Ok, I know this is totally unlike my other stories, but just to let you know, I wrote this about three years ago. The writing is very immature and I do intend to fix it up. The reason it's been so long since I've last updated is because I lost chapter three when I wiped my hard drive and I couldn't find my hard copy of it until tonight, so, what you see is what I've got. Chapter Three is posted and completed. *cheering* enjoy!

Disclaimer: duh.

Chapter One

Silent Whispers

Cold, dark eyes stared at the body at her feet, the man who had guarded her prison. He lay lifeless by her hand. She should have felt, at least, some emotion, but she didn't. She stepped over the body, bending down to take his gun and explosives. She ran swiftly down the halls of the station. She couldn't remember its name…

*****

Heero jumped down off his perch with a grunt. He landed with a soft thud on the decks of MO-2. Pressing his back against the wall and holding his gun up by his shoulder he paused and listened. Nothing. Even so, as he turned the corner into what he knew for the hangar, he did so quickly, aiming his gun and ready to shoot at anything that so much as twitched. 

As he checked to his right, there was a shuffle off to the left. He spun, raising his gun to the figure standing only ten paces from him, holding a gun as well. The two stood that way for barely an instant before recognizing each other. Behind concealing bangs, Trowa nodded his acknowledgment of Heero's presence.

"Have the others come back?" Heero asked in a low voice.

"FREEZE!" A feminine voice came from an entrance off to Heero's right.

The two pilots spun, raising their guns as one. The voice belonged to a female commander in a red uniform. Four soldiers seemed to flank her, although they walked behind. She stepped out of the way, revealing both Quatre and Duo with their hands resting on the top of their heads. Quatre gave Heero and Trowa a weak smile. Duo, on the other hand, looked outright ticked. And with good reason. Two of the soldiers had their guns trained on them. The other two, along with Une had theirs trained on the two pilots standing across from them.

"Drop your weapons or these two die," the commander said arrogantly.

"Not again," Quatre moaned quietly at the same time Duo said, slightly louder, "Like we haven't heard _that_ one before."

As a response to that the two soldiers clicked the safety off their guns. Quatre swallowed what he wanted to say to Duo. Duo glanced sidelong at Quatre, then grinned. Quatre moaned inwardly. _Not again_, he thought.

Duo chuckled and said, "Should'a bound us!" Instantly the soldier with his gun trained on Duo found himself slammed into a mobile suit carrier. 

Quatre cursed silently as he found himself grappling with the other soldier. 

The commander and the two soldiers began firing at Heero and Trowa who had started firing the instant they heard Duo open his mouth. The sound of guns firing and bullets tinging off the metal echoed through the hangar. Trowa threw himself over to the side as he fired. Heero stood still a moment longer until a bullet whizzing close to his ear convinced him to move.

Duo grabbed the soldier he had knocked down by the hair and slammed his head into the side of the carrier. He finished his fight by taking the soldier's fallen rifle and slamming the butt of it into the side of the man's head. The soldier would wake up in about four hours with a really bad headache, if he didn't go into a coma.

Both Heero and Trowa's bullets eventually found their targets and the two soldiers flanking their commander went down. The commander herself looked ready to panic until Duo, who, right after knocking the soldier out, ran toward Une, cracked her in the back of the neck with the butt of his rifle. Her body fell limply to the floor.

When Duo looked toward Quatre, the boy had the guard on the ground with a black eye and a broken jaw. Duo rolled his eyes and stalked over to Quatre and hit the soldier in the head with the rifle. Quatre looked at him with his best imitation of Heero's infamous glare.

"What did you do _that_ for?" Quatre demanded.

"You know why. You'd 'a let that guy go, knowin' you," Duo said, rolling his eyes. "Shoulda' killed 'em."

"DUO!" Quatre yelled.

"Calm down."

"Are you two done?" Trowa's voice demanded, not far away from them. Both Duo and Quatre looked levelly at him in unison. That is…until Heero came sauntering up.

"Let's go," Heero commanded flatly.

*****

From where she stood in the hall, the girl could hear the sound of guns being fired. She followed it silently, but swiftly all the same, as she had been trained to do…only, she didn't remember being trained. She tried to stop thinking and just concentrate on escaping. It came easily to her, of course. Years of tough training had seen to that, but she didn't so much as think about the training.

All of the sudden the gunfire stopped…she stopped moving. If she strained her ears she could pick up the sounds of male voices. As she stood there, listening as she was, she could dimly hear the approach of several pairs of boots marching heavily from behind her. Looking around swiftly, assuming they would head toward where she had heard the gunfire, she ducked into a small alcove and clicked the safety off her gun. As they neared her position, she held her breath…

Twelve soldiers double-timed it past her, looking neither left, nor right. Intent on reaching their destination. They were heavily armed, which meant they could only be going toward the gunfire. Each wore a uniform that seemed so familiar to the girl, yet…no. She pushed whatever vague memory she had aside. She _had_ to escape.

After the soldiers had rounded a corner, she followed them, waiting with her back against the wall until they had rounded another corner, then jogging silently after them. Shortly, she heard them stop. One of the men said something, then the sound of gunfire ensued.

*****

Heero eyed the troop carrier in front of him suspiciously. _It won't stand up under much enemy fire…but it's all we have_, he thought. He turned around just in time to see a group of twelve OZ soldiers round the corner, entering the hangar the same way the last group did. They immediately began to fire. 

The three other pilots, two inside the carrier, caught by surprise, jumped at the sound of gunfire. Quickly, they grabbed their guns, Duo and Quatre coming out of the carrier with the OZ rifles. Trowa came out from around back and began returning fire. Heero moved away from the carrier and fired. Duo and Quatre found stuff to block themselves while they were not shooting. They came out when they were about to fire.

Then, all of the sudden, something exploded behind the twelve soldiers. They went flying in every direction, killed instantly by the explosion. The four pilots lowered their guns, expecting to see Wufei emerge from the smoke. Instead, as the smoke settled, a feminine figure with a waist long, dark brown ponytail and large brown eyes stood in the middle of the entrance aiming an OZ pistol straight at Heero.

"What the…" Duo started.

Before anyone could say anything, a short Chinese boy had the muzzle of his gun pressed into the back of the girl's head, ready to fire. She lowered her gun.

"Wufei, don't," Quatre said quickly. Wufei looked at the blonde pilot. "She helped us."

Wufei lowered his gun, but not all the way. Duo glanced at Quatre, whose gun was down, before lowering his own. Trowa and Heero left theirs up. Wufei practically pushed the girl forward. She looked blankly at the five pilots, now standing together in front of her.

"Who are you," Heero asked.

The girl remained silent, her face blank, but her eyes seeming to look inward, trying to remember her name.

"She doesn't know," Trowa said quietly. 

Duo looked at him quizzically. "What d'ya mean?"

"I mean, I don't think she remembers her name," Trowa said flatly.

The girl looked sharply at him.

"How could she not…"

"I didn't remember mine," Trowa cut Duo off, referring to the time that he had suffered from amnesia. The four pilots looked at Trowa, who looked at the girl. The girl narrowed her eyes.

Quatre spoke up in the uncomfortable moment. "Why did you help us?"

"You fought my enemies," the girl said in a slightly accented but flat voice.

"Huh?" Duo asked, looking at the girl's drab cloths. "Then you're a…prisoner?" Her lack of response confirmed his suspicion. "How did you escape? This place has the tightest security I've seen in a long time!"

The girl's features did not move. She did not speak.

"Heero," Wufei interjected. "We have to go before more troops arrive."

"Right, let's go," Heero stated crisply.

Four of the five turned and started for the carrier. Quatre's gaze lingered on the girl before catching up. As Heero was entering the carrier Quatre stopped him.

"Hey, Heero. Shouldn't we take her with us? She has to escape or she'll be killed!"

"Come on, Quatre," Duo groaned, leaning out of the carrier. "She's dead weight. Let's go."

"But, Duo," Quatre's voice firmed, "she _helped_ us. We didn't even…"

"We could've taken those guys…" Duo cut off Quatre's protest.

His voice was drowned out by the sound of an engine starting. The three pilots turned to look as the only Taurus Mobile Suit in the hangar turned on. The girl no longer stood in front of the carrier.

"What the heck? D'ya think that she…" Duo trailed off. Heero turned and ducked into the carrier. Quatre and Duo followed close on his heels.

Wufei and Trowa were already seated at the controls in the cockpit. "Can you get the pilot on the radio?" Trowa was saying as he started up their own engines.

Wufei looked intent for a few seconds, pressing buttons. "I got him," he stated.

"What do you want?" The girl's voice came over the radio.

"Huh? Does she even know how to pilot that thing?" Wufei asked with Duo leaning over the back of his chair.

"What are you doing?" Quatre demanded.

"What does it look like she's doing, Quatre? She's escaping!" Duo turned to glare at Quatre.

"How does she plan on doing that?" Quatre asked. "That Taurus suit doesn't have the firepower to blast through that gate."

"I would advise pressurizing that carrier," the girl stated.

Without waiting to wonder, Heero sat down and began pressing buttons, sealing the carrier and pressurizing the inside.

"What does she plan on doing?" Trowa wondered out loud.

"If she tries to blast her way through, we'll have OZ mobile suits all over us before we can manage to open the bay doors and escape," Heero stated in the same tone he would've used to state what he ate for lunch. "This isn't the only hangar." Duo and Quatre gapped at him. Trowa looked out at the Taurus, and Wufei looked down at his controls.

__

And we have no way to stop her, Heero thought._ Not in this carrier._

*****

The girl glanced at the activated carrier from inside the Taurus. She didn't quite understand it, but she felt comfortable here. She slipped on the pilot's uniform she had taken out of the locker behind the Taurus over her cloths and put the helmet on. Sitting down, she strapped herself in. It felt so natural that she didn't even think about it.

Reaching out a gloved hand, she cut communications with the terrorists and pressed the button she somehow knew would connect her with the flight control unit. A screen flickered to life in front of her. 

"This is MO-2 Flight Control," a young, blonde officer stated. "What's the commotion down there."

Levelly, she stated, "This is Taurus suit number zero-one-five. Five terrorists were here. We have captured them, but there may be more on the ship."

"Is there any carrier waiting to pick them up?" The officer demanded.

"They didn't say anything," the girl answered, "but I have no doubt there is. I'm going out to search."

"Do you need back up?" the young officer asked, already beginning to arrange for it.

"I don't think so." The officer's head shot up. She continued, "They were just a small force. I shouldn't have any problems."

The officer hesitated a moment before answering. "Roger that, opening bay doors now. Report back immediately once you destroy them."

"Yes, sir," the girl said switching from that frequency to the one she had used for communicating with the terrorists.

*****

As they readied for take off, Heero trying to tap into the computer, the five pilots heard the girl's voice over the radio again. "If you want out of here, follow me, but do so quickly. We'll have Oz mobile suits on our backs in an instant once they figure out what's happened."

Heero looked up from his computer. Trowa and Wufei exchanged glances. Duo looked stunned, and Quatre grinned. Trowa opened his mouth to say something but was cut off when he noticed the bay doors opening and the Taurus springing into action. No one moved. Some kind of shield blocked off the other carriers in the hangar, stopping them from being pulled into space by the vacuum.

"Well," the girl's voice came over the radio. "Are you coming or not?"

With out a word, the carrier jumped into action. Quatre looked at Duo. "Dead weight, huh?" he mocked, out of character. "Do you know how long it would've taken us to tap into MO-2's computer and get that gate open?"

"Shut up, Quatre," Heero said gruffly, glaring at Quatre.

Duo and Quatre looked at him, surprised. The Taurus, with the carrier on it's tail, sped out of the hangar.

*****

"What the?" the blonde officer exclaimed when he saw the carrier following the Taurus. "Taurus suit," the officer called over the radio. "What's that carrier doing?"

*****

The girl looked up at the image that popped onto her screen. Without so much as blinking she reached over and turned it off. In the same motion, she contacted the terrorists.

"We're going to have guests in about thirty seconds. Do you know where you want to go?"

*****

Trowa looked up from his controls. 

"To Peacemillion," Wufei said into the radio. "Just follow us." _If you can keep up,_ Wufei thought.

__

Man, I wish we had our gundams, Duo thought.

Trowa aimed to where Peacemillion last was. The carrier sped toward Peacemillion with the Taurus close behind. In less than thirty seconds, nearly fifty Leo suits came one by one out of MO-2 and were heading for them.

"Kuso," Trowa muttered softly. "I'm going to change course to guide them away from Peacemillion. We should be able to outrun them in about fifteen minutes. We'll head back to Peacemillion then," he stated. No one objected.

The carrier and the Taurus flew quickly, but the Leo suits were soon to catch up. The Taurus leapt into action. Using a large gun and a small beam saber, the Taurus destroyed over half of the Leo suits in less than five minutes. The rest took little longer. Once she had finished, the Taurus sped away toward the carrier. 

__

What am I doing? The girl thought. _I don't even know these guys, but I'm following them._ Vainly, she tried to think of somewhere else she could go. _Well, I guess now I have to._ Hardly even thinking about the battle she had just won, she flew full throttle toward the carrier, catching up with it quickly. It had slowed down. The terrorists seemed to be waiting for her.

*****

"She's amazing!" Duo said as he watched the Taurus battle the onslaught of Leo suits.

"I guess we underestimated her," Trowa stated.

"I thought she was a goner for sure. Maybe we should wait for her to catch up," Quatre suggested.

"Yeah, but will she even come?" Heero asked.

"Heero's right," Wufei put his two cents in. "She's escaped now, why would she want to follow us?"

"Can we just try. If she doesn't catch up soon, then we'll go," Quatre whined.

"MO-2 might send out more suits," Wufei objected. _Besides, Noin's the only woman I know that's worth anything in a fight._

"I don't think so," Trowa said, looking up from his controls. "From the information on Heero's computer, that Taurus suit was the only one on the base, and there were only seventy-five Leos. I doubt if they'll risk their last suits after a couple of rebels and a prisoner. Let's just wait."

Sure enough, the Taurus caught up with them shortly. Together, they flew in silence to Peacemillion.

*****

"Shit," The commander said, rubbing the back of her neck. She slowly stood up. When she looked up, the Taurus suit was gone and one of the carriers was missing. She looked around her at the floor. Twelve dead soldiers lay in bloody, charred heaps, along with the four that had come with her. What else could go wrong? _At least we have the Leos,_ she thought as she slowly headed toward the bridge. Her head pounded until she thought it would explode.

"Major!" One of the soldiers exclaimed when she strode onto the bridge. Every one there stood up and sprang to attention. Her head hurt too much to do more than wave her hand in a gesture to return to their business.

"Ma'am," one of her officers strode up in front of her. "The Taurus and the carrier escaped. We've lost fifty of our Leo suits."

"What?!" Une exclaimed, hurting her head more. She reached up gingerly and put her hand on it.

"Colonel?" the soldier leaned toward her, worried. She waved him back.

"Arrest who ever let them escape," she ordered.

"I'm sorry, but we can't. The guard at the prisoner's cell was killed."

The commander looked up at the man in horror.

*****

The five pilots filed out of the carrier. Noin, Sally, and Howard were there to meet them.

"Who's in the Taurus if you five are in there?" Sally asked.

"See for yourself. We have a guest," Duo piqued.

As if called by Duo's words, the door to the Taurus opened and the girl jumped out. She silently leapt off of the ledge and landed deftly on her feet. The eight of them looked at her.

"What's her name," Noin asked Heero.

"She didn't tell us. Trowa thinks she can't remember," Heero stated flatly.

"Well," Howard said loudly, "one more ally can't hurt. I'll have someone find her a place to sleep."

"Yeah, but for now," Duo said, grinning with his hand on his stomach. "Let's get some food, I'm hungry." The seven soldiers looked at him. "You comin'?" He called to the girl, still standing in front of the suit. Hesitantly, she came up to them, brushing past them as she followed Duo out of the hangar.

*****

The girl and Duo sat down at a table near the entrance of the room. Each had a tray of food in front of them.

"You gonna tell me your name?" Duo asked.

"Why don't you tell me yours first," the girl suggested.

"Duo Maxwell," he said, reaching over the table to shake her hand.

The girl looked at his hand, holding her fork in her own, then looked up at Duo. He grinned, then returned his hand to holding his fork.

"That's ok. Heero does the same thing," he said lightly, brushing the incident aside. "He's the one who's not human." The girl almost smiled at that. "So, what's your name."

"I don't remember my name," the girl said, sounding almost as dull as Heero.

"Huh? So, what are we supposed to call ya'?" Duo asked. "Nanashi?"

The girl shrugged.

As Duo had begun talking, Trowa and Quatre walked in. At the sound of the word "nanashi," Trowa's head snapped in Duo's direction. His eyes widened for a moment before returning to his calm. He and Quatre continued walking to get their food.

"You ok, Trowa?" Quatre asked, noting his actions.

"I'm fine," Trowa said calmly.

"Ok."

Duo and the girl's "conversation" didn't pick back up until Trowa and Quatre sat down.

"Where's Heero and Wufei?" Duo asked between bites.

"In their rooms," Trowa stated. "They said they weren't hungry."

Duo shrugged it off, shoveling more food into his mouth. "So," he started with his mouth full. That earned him sharp looks from Trowa who was sitting next to him, and Quatre who sat next to the girl. She just kept poking her food with the fork.

Duo swallowed his food. "Sorry," he said. "Introduce yourselves!" He grinned cheerfully.

Quatre chuckled. "I'm Quatre Winner," he said, holding his hand toward her.

"She doesn't shake hands," Duo whispered loudly.

"Oh."

"Trowa Barton," Trowa stated, studying the girl.

"What's your name?" Quatre asked. Duo warily looked at him.

The girl lifted her head and simply looked at Quatre, not wanting to admit again that she had no clue what her name was. That she didn't know anything other than what had happened the past two days.

"What happened?" Trowa asked, now almost positive that she was suffering from amnesia, just like he had.

"I don't know," she said softly.

"Do you know why you were being held prisoner?" Duo asked cautiously.

The girl shook her head numbly. She looked up at Trowa. Her eyes glazed over and she passed out.


	2. Rumors of the Past

Chapter Two

Rumors of the Past

A young, blonde, almost white, shorthaired boy sat across from a dark, shorthaired girl. The two were the same age, around six, but no older. They giggled at each other from across the table. 

"Milliardo," the boy's nurse chided. "Mind your manners and take your elbow off the table.

The boy looked up and grinned at the nurse. The girl smiled broadly. At the same instant the two jumped up and ran out of the room. "Milliardo!" The nurse called another name as well, but it was blurred.

*****

The young girl laid in her bed wrapped in her warm blankets. They had gotten caught by the nurse eventually and sent to bed early. She didn't mind much. She was sleepy anyway.

As the girl began to doze off she heard shouting from down below accompanied by the sound of gunfire. She sat bolt upright in her bed as Milliardo opened her door.

"Milliardo," she hissed. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," the young boy said, terrified.

The girl jumped out of her bed, landing with a soft thud. The wooden floor was cold under her bare feet, but she hardly noticed. She grabbed Milliardo's hand and they crept slowly to the balcony in the next room. From there they could see everything that was happening in the front of the palace. Thousands of soldiers were out there, shouting. Some firing their weapons, others throwing stones at the palace.

"There's so many men," the girl said in a thin voice as she clung to her friends arm. "What will your father do?"

Milliardo's brow creased in fear and confusion as he shook his head. His short hair clung to his forehead with sweat. _He's so scared,_ the girl thought. _Then I must not be._

"Perhaps we will find Nana?" She suggested, referring to their nurse. "She'll know what to do."

"Relena!" Milliardo exclaimed coming out of his trance. "We have to find Relena." He turned toward the girl and said her name, which also came out as a blur. "You have to help me find her."

The door burst open. Nana stood in the doorway with the baby Relena in her arms. "Milliardo," she gasped. "Take…"

Without hesitation, Milliardo grabbed his younger sister, and the girl went over to Nana. "Nana?" she asked. 

The woman began to stagger into the room. She gasped and dropped to her knees, whispering the girl's name. "Take care…of the…prince…and the princess…for me."

"I will," the young girl bobbed her head. "I will…Nana…Nana…NO!!!"

Nana gasped for breath and then collapsed into a heap. The girl grabbed the woman's shoulder and shook her. "No, Nana. Don't go. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be a bad girl. Please, Nana, don't leave me!!!" The girl cried. Sobs racked her body as she buried her face in the woman's chest. "Nana, please…"

Milliardo, holding Relena, knelt beside the girl. He noticed the girl's hands, smeared with blood. Tears formed in his eyes. Cradling Relena in the crook of his left arm, he placed his right hand on the girl's shoulder. As he felt the sobs shake her body, tears began to stream down his cheeks. Relena began to wail.

"Ti…"

*****

The girl woke with a start, sitting bolt upright in the bed. Her breath came in terrified gasps. Her long hair hung loose, sticking to the back of her neck with sweat. Her face was stained with tears. _Where am I?_ She thought. Vaguely she remembered the battle with the Leos, and the five pilots. Dinner. That was where it stopped. _There are so many holes. But…now I remember something. Nana…she was shot. Her blood stained my hair. That's why it's so long. She…she was…like my mother. I didn't have a mother…who? The prince, Milliardo…when?_ She gave up trying to remember. Tears began to form in her eyes. Tears of frustration and grief. _Did they survive? She told me to take care of them. Did I?_

*****

Trowa sat alone in his room. Memories of his past floated through his mind. Quatre, insane under the influence of the zero system. His mobile suit exploding. Finding himself wandering a colony. Catherine. _I feel sorry for her,_ he thought. His mind wandering to the girl they had met earlier that day. _I wish I knew what to do. If only…_ His thoughts strayed. _What am I thinking?! She could be a spy! No, that look in her eyes. No. What's wrong with me?_ Thinking that it would help clear his mind, Trowa began to walk around Peacemillion, not thinking at all. When he finally came out of his trance, he realized that he sat at a computer, looking through files.

__

What am I doing here?

"Trowa, man, is that you?" He heard Duo ask from the doorway. He looked up at Duo. Duo stood there, in a pair of sweats and a tee shirt, yawning and scratching his head. "Do you know what time it is?! What are you doing here this late?"

Trowa turned back to the screen, wondering the same thing. Duo walked up behind him, covering his mouth to stifle another yawn. Duo looked at the screen in front of Trowa. On it was a picture of a woman with brown hair and brown eyes.

"Whose that?" Duo asked. He leaned forward to read the name. "Diencha Spedoski? What the heck are you doing." The screen flickered to another woman with brown hair and brown eyes. "Are you looking for…?"

"I guess so," Trowa finally answered.

"What? Ya' mean you don't know?" Duo asked jokingly. He was ignored. "You want help?" He asked, seriously, after a moment.

"If you feel like it," Trowa said in a voice that suggested he didn't care.

Duo pulled up a chair and spun it, sitting down on it, backwards, next to Trowa. "When she…passed out," he started.

"Duo," Trowa interrupted. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright."

After a while of looking through files with no luck, Duo spoke. "If she was able to pilot a mobile suit that good, then she had to have had some military training. Maybe if you checked the files for OZ or the Alliance Military?"

"Hmm," Trowa thought about Duo's suggestion. "You're probably right. But I'm too tired right now. I'll check them later." He stood up. "Good night, Duo."

"'Night Trowa," Duo said, watching Trowa leave.

__

There's something weird about him since that girl passed out. What is it? He turned back to the computer. After punching in a few keys and manipulating passwords, he opened OZ's personnel files. Since there were so many, he narrowed his search down to brown hair and brown eyes, like Trowa had done. He sat there for hours looking through the file. The blue of the computer screen reflecting on his face.

*****

Trowa didn't go back to his room. Instead, he found himself standing at the door to the girl's room. He put his hand up to knock, but he hesitated. _I should just go to bed._ He lowered his hand and backed up, but before he had the chance to leave, he heard a voice through the door, screaming. What he heard was a muffled plea that he couldn't quite make out. Without thinking, he opened the door and slipped into the dark room. He could hear the girl crying softly, tossing in the bed. His heart ached for her sake. _If only I could help._

Suddenly, the girl's thrashing stopped and she sat bolt upright in her bed. The light of the stars that shown through her window played on her face. Her loose hair clung to her shirt. She bowed her head, seeming to think. After a moment, the light of a star glinted off of a fresh tear falling from her eye. Trowa took a step forward, then backed off. Too late.

The girl turned in his direction, seeing his silhouette. "Who's there?" She demanded.

Gingerly, Trowa stepped forward, into the pale light. 

"What do you want, Trowa?" She demanded, sounding slightly annoyed.

"I…heard you scream," he said truthfully, not knowing whether or not she would tell him to leave, ask him to stay, or just get up and try to kill him. He could see the muscles in her jaw working as if she were chewing something. He could almost hear her grinding her teeth. "I'm sorry for disturbing you. I just wanted to make sure you were ok."

Trowa turned and started for the door. "Trowa," the girl called after him. He turned around and waited. After a moment of looking at his green eyes, she said, "You asked me what happened." She looked down. After a slight pause, she continued. "You seemed to understand…everything. How?" She looked up at him, her face now composed.

Trowa nervously bit his lower lip. _Why am I standing here like a fool?_ "Not too long ago, I lost my memory after a battle. If my friends hadn't found me, I never would have remembered a thing." He paused. She continued to look at him. "I…I know how painful it is. I remember how frustrated I'd get when I couldn't remember…even my own name." He tore his eyes away from hers. "I'd better go." He turned and left before she could stop him. _Or was it to stop myself from continuing. Man, I don't even know the girl. Why am I acting like this?_ He thought as he left the room.

*****

Slowly, trying not to think, the girl laid back down, hoping she would not dream. After a short span of only a few minutes, her breathing deepened and she fell into a fitful sleep, full of dreams.

*****

Trowa leaned against the door once he was inside of his room. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the door. _What…am…I…doing?_ He thought, frustrated. _What is wrong with me? My heart was pounding so hard it felt like I had run for an hour without stopping._ His brow furrowed in frustration. Trying to put his actions behind, he changed into a comfortable pair of sweats and a baggy shirt and slipped between the covers of his bed. In no time he fell into a deep sleep, devoid of any dreams for the first time in years.

*****

A seven-year-old girl with shaggy brown hair stood in front of a building, looking up at the sign. "Our Lady Maria's Home for Children." Frightened, she took a step back, but when she did, she caught a whiff of food cooking inside. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that it had been days since she had eaten the smallest scrap of food. She held her stomach, looking again at the sign. Timidly, she took a step forward.

"Hey you," a masculine voice called off to her side, standing out from the noise of the city. She looked over at him. "Yeah, you. Come here, kid." The girl looked at the sign again, then at the man. The scent of food filled her nostrils. She looked back at the sign and took another step toward the building. The man came closer. "Hey, kid, don't go in there. I can give you a home, if that's what you need kid." She looked at the man again. 

_Home,_ she thought. _I don't deserve it._ Her eyes traveled down to her bare feet, dirty from the dust and grime of the back allies. _I deserve the worst punishment. I failed Nana. I…_

The man's voice interrupted her thoughts. He was now squatting down next to her. He looked into her grimy face and said, "Come on, kid."

She looked up at him. Her stomach rumbled. He smiled gently. "Is that what you want, food?" Her face brightened and she nodded, forgetting about her failure. His smile grew larger. "What's your name, kid?" The man asked as he led her away, down the street.

"Ti…"

*****

The thirteen-year-old girl crept around the feet of the large mobile suit. The Leo, she had been told. This was her mission; to get that Leo. But she hesitated, only for a moment until she heard a siren go off and guns begin to fire. She climbed up the leg of the mobile suit and opened the hatch to the cockpit. Lake Victoria Academy was up and distracted with her friends, now she had to go. 

Settling herself into the seat and strapping herself in, pushing her long hair over her shoulder. She looked at the controls. _Just like the sims,_ she thought. She started the suit up and began to leave. She grinned as she thought she was about to escape.

Suddenly her radio came to life. "Stop right there or I'll shoot," a not yet matured male voice said. She spun around, facing the twin to her mobile suit. A screen came to life in the suit showing a boyish face with shoulder length white-blonde hair and a bird-like helmet on. "Surrender now, and your sentence will not be as harsh."

"Come and get me," she challenged, bracing herself for attack. The other suit lunged at her. The two fought for less than a minute. The girl was completely over-powered by the young pilot. She had no choice but to try and escape on foot. 

Quickly, she unlatched the restraining belts and opened the hatch. She jumped out, but her land was not as graceful as it should've been. As she rolled to the side, she saw the young pilot getting out of his suit, holding a gun. She stood up and instantly regretted it. Her left ankle gave out, sprained from the landing. 

"Kuso," she muttered, limping as fast as she could, trying vainly to get away from the running pilot. In almost no time he had caught up with her and was pointing a gun at her head.

"Don't move," he warned.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

He looked shocked, as much as that helmet would allow at any rate. "You just tried to steal a mobile suit, what do you think?" He asked, almost appalled at her question.

"It was just a dare. My friends dared me to do it," she lied, suddenly frightened of the young pilot who was no older than she was.

"Cadet Merquise!" Someone called, running up behind the pilot. "Good," he said, looking at the girl, "You caught her. There were two others in the building, but they were shot. They couldn't have been more than ten but they killed about fifteen cadets and six officers."

The girl could barely contain her anger. Her friends were dead. The children she had lived with for the past six years. In a sudden burst of adrenaline, given to her by her rage, she attacked the helmeted pilot knocking the gun out of his hand. The other boy picked it up and grabbed her arm, roughly pulling her off of the pilot, digging the gun into her back. The boy that held her shook his head to get his bangs out of his face. 

The pilot stood up and dusted himself off. He stepped closer to peer into her eyes through the eyeslits of that helmet. He smiled, "Just a dare, huh?"

The girl grimaced in pain. The one that held her rolled his eyes and the two boys half carried/ half dragged her back to the base.

*****

The girl woke slowly from the dream, revealing another one of the locked away memories. Memories weren't the only things in her dreams though. Some of them didn't even seem like her own. One was about a boy that looked a lot like Duo. He was watching a nun die, and crying. Remembering the dream made her want to cry because it seemed so real.

Putting the dreams behind her, she stood up and tried to smooth out her clothes before stepping out into the hall. She wandered around a bit until she found the cafeteria that she had sat in the day before. It was early, about 0300, but she had decided not to try to sleep anymore.

*****

Duo woke up in a sweat. He was used to nightmares, but this one had been real. The day of the Maxwell Church Tragedy. The day when the Father and Sister had died because he had been away, trying to steal a mobile suit so the rebels would leave the church alone. He remembered all of it so vividly. The alliance soldiers firing at him as he sped away in the truck with the mobile suit. Then, as he stepped out of the truck, the scent of blood hit him. The church was in ruins, and people lay, dead, scattered all over the ground. He still remembered every bit of it.

__

That's when the peace ended for me, he thought. _It ended at a place where peace began. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't the rebels just stay away from the church?_ Duo felt the old rage begin to well up inside of him.

He remembered the feel of the nun's body as he held her in her last moments. She had told him about how Father had thought of nothing but him and peace until he was shot. She told him that God loved him. Then she died. In his arms, she drew her last breath, because he wasn't there to protect her.

He remembered yelling at the God he had been taught of, demanding to know why this had happened. He didn't blame God though, only himself. Of course, no one had blamed it on him, but he knew all the same. That was why he fought now. The long haired boy sat up. _I fight for the peace that I used to feel at the church. I wish it would come back._ Duo fought tears.

He sniffed and flipped his braid off of his shoulder onto his back. He stood up and changed into the priest's outfit that he had worn since that day at the church. Because he didn't feel like washing his hair and having to braid it again he put on his black hat and left his room, his stomach already rumbling for something to eat.

*****

As the girl stepped into the room, she noticed it's other occupant, sitting at the same table she had the previous day.

Noin looked up at the girl, noting her hesitation. Silently, she gestured to the seat across from her with her free hand. The other held a mug of coffee. The girl slid into the seat, looking at Noin, not even noticing the mug of coffee in front of her.

"I figured someone would be up this early, so I grabbed another cup," Noin explained to the girl. Absently, the girl noticed the mug and sipped at the hot black liquid.

Noin looked at her over the top of her mug. "You look familiar," she said.

The girl looked up. Noin lowered her mug. "Do you remember anything about Lake Victoria?" Noin asked.

The girl's breath caught in her throat. "I had a dream about it last night," she said quietly.

"Do you want to tell me?" Noin asked when the girl stopped. "I went there, maybe I could help you."

"I don't think so. My memories are too vague. There are too many holes," she said flatly.

The door swished open and Duo strode in. "Hey!" he called, seeing the two women sitting at the table. They looked like two old friends sharing a cup of coffee, but he knew it couldn't be. "Mind if I join ya'?" he asked hesitantly.

Noin looked at the girl. The girl spoke up, "No, go ahead."

*****

In the cafeteria of Lake Victoria Academy, a fourteen-year-old Noin and a girl, the same age as herself, sat across from each other, sharing a cup of hot cocoa. The girl's long hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. She grinned at something Noin had just said.

The door opened and the young Zechs Merquise walked in, wearing his bird-like helmet with his white-blonde hair hanging down past his shoulders. "Hey guys," he said, walking toward Noin and the other girl. "Mind if I join you?"

"No, go ahead," the girl said, gesturing to the chair next to Noin. Noin glared at the girl for her choice of seats. The girl grinned.

*****

Noin looked up at the girl, into her dark brown eyes. "It is you," she said quietly. Duo, sitting next to Noin, looked at her.

"What?" he asked.

The girl sitting across from them looked back into Noin's violet eyes without so much as a hint of recognition. "At Lake Victoria, I'm sure it's you," Noin continued.

The girl shook her head, not remembering anything.

Noin's shoulders sagged as she noted the girl's lack of reaction. _It has to be,_ she thought. With one last look at the girl, Noin stood up and, almost in a daze, walked out of the cafeteria, leaving her coffee on the table.

*****

Once outside the room, Noin walked swiftly to her room. Sitting down on her bed she opened a small bag. From it she pulled a small, crinkled up photo taken while she was at Lake Victoria Academy. The picture was of a younger Noin, Zechs, and the girl. _It is her,_ Noin thought. _What was her name?_ Try as she might, she couldn't remember. It had been so long since she had even thought of her. 

*****

Trowa woke up early, more rested than he had been in a long time. After staring at the ceiling for a few moments, he got up and got dressed. Washing the sleep out of his eyes, he debated on whether or not to go down to the cafeteria. He decided against it, he wasn't hungry yet. As he stepped out into the hall, Noin walked past him in a daze. He shrugged it off and headed in the opposite direction.

Sitting down in front of a computer, Trowa hacked into the OZ personnel files, just as Duo had done the night before. He sat there, looking through the files for what seemed like hours. _I've got nothing better to do,_ he rationalized in his mind.

*****

Duo now sat across from the girl, moving Noin's coffee away. "So," he asked cheerfully. "How did you sleep?"

"You were in one of my dreams," she said flatly, sipping her coffee.

Duo's face paled, "Huh?"

"As a little boy. You were holding a dying nun," she continued as if Duo had never spoken.

If it was possible, Duo's face paled even more. "Wait a sec," he said in disbelief.

"Who was she?" The girl asked, as if knowing that it was a true dream.

Duo shook his head, for once, utterly dumbstruck. "That's not possible. You couldn't know anything about that."

"I don't. I only know what was in my dream."

"That wasn't your dream," Duo said slowly. "That was…" _Who is she?_

The girl looked up at Duo, setting her cup down. Duo shook his head, eyes wide. "No, never mind." He scratched the top of his head and left to go get his breakfast. When he returned the girl was gone. He ate in silence, still confused. _How did she know?_

Finishing quickly, he grabbed the remaining bagel and headed off to find a computer. He walked into the room where Trowa sat, looking dully into the computer screen. 

"Hey Trowa," Duo tried talking to him. No response. "The girl's up. She was in the cafeteria, but she left a while ago," he said, trying to start a conversation, receiving a frustrated grunt from the other pilot.

Taking a bite of his bagel, Duo sat down in front of another computer and did the same thing he had done last night, except this time narrowing it down to what he had learned this morning.

"Gender – female

Hair color – brown

Eye color – brown

Age – 19"

He also narrowed it down to those soldiers trained at Lake Victoria Academy. Possible files, only 16. Scanning them quickly, he narrowed it down once again to three. Looking at the final picture with the smallest military file he had ever seen, he brought up a photo. Wearing a red OZ officer's uniform, a young woman stared blankly into the camera. Her dark hair was tied up into a waist long ponytail. Her face held no expression.

"Hey Trowa," Duo said, staring at the screen. He heard Trowa stand up and walk over to him. Trowa looked over his shoulder.

"It's her," Trowa said, a hint of excitement in his voice.

On the screen it showed.

YEAR OF BIRTH: A.C. 176

RANK: 1st Lieutenant

NAME: Tiana Moore 

*SPECIAL FORCES TOP SECRET!

"Special forces?" Duo asked. "Man, this is intense. Why was she a prisoner?"

Trowa shook his head, staring at the information. Duo's bagel lay half-eaten on the consul. Neither talked. Trowa shook his head, braking his trance. "Can you find out any other information."

Duo looked intently and the screen, pressing buttons, trying to find a larger file. He shook his head. "There's nothing. It's as if that's the only information they have."

Trowa ran his fingers through his hair. "They have to have something else. School records. Medical records. Anything."

Duo looked at Trowa, "I'm sorry, man. This is all there is." He shook his head. "It says 'Special Forces,' maybe they keep those files separate."

"Can you get into them?" Trowa asked.

Duo shook his head, "Not without screaming a warning to OZ. I'm not even sure if Heero could do that. Besides, I'm not about to wake him up." While Duo was talking, Trowa dashed out of the room. "Hey Trowa! Where ya' goin'? TROWA!" Duo's chair scraped on the floor and nearly fell over as he stood up and ran after Trowa. He had to run as hard as he could to catch up with the running pilot.

Once he reached Trowa, Duo put a restraining hand on his arm, slowing him to a fast walk. "Trowa, if you're thinkin' about wakin' Heero up, you're nuts. He'd shoot…"

"I'm not going to get Heero," Trowa cut him off.

"Huh?" Duo asked.

"I'm going to get Tiana," Trowa said, satisfied that he finally knew her name.

"What's she gonna do?" Duo asked.

"She seemed to remember her training, if nothing else," Trowa explained after a moment. He stopped in front of her door. "Maybe she was trained in computers as well as mobile suits." He knocked quietly on her door. Inside he heard a shuffle of feet and then the door opened. Tiana stood by the door, looking blankly at the two.

"What do you want me to do, Trowa?" She asked.

"We need your help," Trowa stammered out.

Duo raised his eyebrows as Trowa hesitated. Duo took over. "Do you remember anything about computer hacking?"

"I might," Tiana said, unsure.

"Could ya' help us then?" Duo asked, gesturing down the hall.

Wordlessly, Tiana stepped out of her room and followed the two pilots down the hall. Trowa looked angrily at Duo. Once inside the room, Tiana took the seat in front of the computer Duo was working on. She pressed a key to reactivate the screen and gasped.

She stood up, knocking over the chair and startling Trowa and Duo. Her body numbed and she was dimly aware of Trowa and Duo asking what was wrong. Suddenly, an onslaught of memories flashed in front of her eyes. She tried to fight them off, to slow them down. Reflexively, she grabbed her head with both hands. She felt a hand on her arm and she punched, her fist making contact with Duo's jaw. 

Tiana let go of her head, stepping away from the two stunned pilots. She took a step backward as Trowa left Duo to nurse his jaw and stepped forward. 

"Tiana," he said quietly.

She grimaced at the sound of her name. _No,_ she thought as more memories rushed in on her. _STOP!_ She held her hand out in a gesture for Trowa to back off. She continued walking backward until she backed into something. As she turned to run, Trowa rushed in on her, grabbing her arm. She used her other arm to swing a punch at Trowa, but he caught the fist and held on. She tried to break his grip, but the pilot of Heavyarms would not let go.

"Let me go," she said, her voice deceptively thin. "Please."

Trowa shook his head. Duo, still rubbing his jaw, stepped up behind him. Tiana tensed and kneed Trowa in the ribs. Trowa doubled over reflexively and released his grip. Tiana started to run off, but as she exited the door Duo tackled her and pinned her to the ground.

"Let me go," she said in a low voice.

"Tiana…" Duo started. He was cut off when he had to struggle to keep her down.

Tiana struggled, burying her face into the floor. _What is happening?_ The onslaught of memories came again, flashing in front of her closed eyes. The gunfire at the Peacecraft palace. Loosing Milliardo and Relena in the chaos. Wandering and finding her self in a band of rebels. The training. Her capture. More training. Her two friends, Noin and Zechs. Sitting in an examination chair. Green lights flashing. Her mind. The pain. Lost.

Tiana gave into the rush this time, her body going limp. As the tide carried her thoughts into the locked chambers of her mind, she fell away into unconsciousness.

*****

Duo felt Tiana's body go limp under him. Cautiously, he got off her and stood up. Trowa staggered to his side. When she didn't move, both pilots knelt down next to her and turned her over. She was unconscious. Trowa looked close to tears, thinking about what had just happened.

"I shouldn't have brought her down here," he said quietly, shaking his head.

"You didn't know," Duo said, vainly trying to comfort him.

Trowa took a deep breath, ignoring Duo's attempt. "Let's get her down to the medics."

*****

In the hospital bed, Tiana lay, thrashing violently at times and hardly moving at others. Trowa stood off to one side, looking at her. It was 1300. She had been unconscious for over nine hours.

The door behind him hissed open and Quatre walked in. He looked at Trowa with a concerned expression. Without speaking, he moved to stand next to Trowa. Looking at Tiana, Quatre said, "Duo told me what happened."

"Hmm," was all the response Quatre received. The silence lasted for a while, both boys watching Tiana's restless sleep, Trowa drawing comfort from the presence of the other boy.

*****

Tiana sensed Trowa's presence near her, but she couldn't wake herself up. Her mind was too exhausted to even try. She felt whole again, yet sad at the same time. She knew what had caused her to loose her memory. An experiment gone wrong. That's what the doctors had called it.

Tiana remembered lying on the operation table. But this was no ordinary operation.

*****

Doctors huddled around Tiana's body, lying flat on an operation table. She looked up at their silhouetted forms backdropped by bright lights. She felt the prick of a needle in her right arm. 

Dimly, she heard one of the doctor's voices. "Don't fight it, Lieutenant. Don't…"

The next thing she knew, her brain was foggy and doctors and assistants hollered to one another from across the room.

"She's waking up, sir," an assistant near her called.

"No, it's too early," the doctor ran over to the young man's side. "We haven't finished. Inject her again."

This time, Tiana was too weak to even worry about it, much less protest. She dimly felt the needle inject the anesthetic into her arm. When she woke again, an old, graying doctor bent over her, shining a green light into her eyes. Her mind was foggy, however, she could clearly hear the alarm that went off. Her body convulsed and her blood ran cold.

"Her pulse is dropping rapidly," an assistant announced.

"Blast!" the old doctor shouted, standing up and motioning to two younger doctors standing behind him. "Get her pulse back up you worthless excuses for doctors." The two men sprang to life as Tiana's vision narrowed.

"We're loosing her!" was the last thing Tiana heard before her mind slipped away.

The next time she woke there was an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. She looked around, near panic. She was in the same room. She sat up, wincing as IV's tore out of her skin. She ignored the pain as she ripped the oxygen mask off her face.

The door burst open across the room. Two doctors and seven soldiers stalked into the room. The soldiers pinned Tiana to the bed. The more she fought, the harder the held her. Tiana's mind raced wildly. She could sense all nine men in the room. She grabbed on to the feeling of one of the soldier's minds. That soldier loosed his grip and crumpled over in pain. The other six switched between looking at each other and at her in fear. The doctor strapped another mask over her nose and mouth and turned on a machine.

Tiana struggled against the soldier's grip. "She's too dangerous," the other doctor said.

"The experiment didn't quite go as we had planned," the first doctor said as he nodded his agreement. 

Tiana's mind raced wildly. She was dying. She grabbed hold of any presence she sensed, tearing at it madly. The gas from the machine filled her lungs. Inside she screamed in pain. The nine men all grabbed at their heads as her silent scream filled their minds. She willed herself to tear the mask off, but the gas that filled her lungs deadened her senses and all too soon, her brain shut down and her body remained on the table, all but lifeless. The doctor took the mask off her and shut off the machine.

"Perhaps we can still use what's left of her," he explained to the other doctors.

*****

Tiana shook at the memory. She tried to make her self wake up. She was so tired. She had to wake up. _Trowa,_ she thought. She could sense his guilt. _Trowa, it's not your fault,_ she thought.

*****

Trowa's head dropped, then shot up. He looked questioningly at Tiana's still form.

"Are you ok, Trowa?" Quatre asked, worried.

"She just…" Trowa started. In his mind he heard Tiana's voice. 'Trowa,' it said. 'It's not your fault.'

Trowa, dazed, stepped toward the bed.

"Trowa?" Quatre's voice carried concern.

Trowa reached over and touched Tiana, not thinking. A sudden stab of pain in his mind made him pull his hand back. The touch, however, woke Tiana up. Trowa's breath caught in his throat.

Quatre's brow creased in concern. He stepped toward his friend. Then, realizing that Tiana was awake, he retreated out of the room.

"Tiana," Trowa whispered.

Tiana looked up at him. This time she didn't flinch at the sound of her name.

"What happened?" Trowa asked. 

Tiana turned her head away from Trowa. Taking that as not wanting to talk about it, Trowa closed his eyes and nodded to himself. "I understand," he began.

"I remember," Tiana cut him off sharply. "Every thing." She turned to look at him again, her face tight with concentration. "I'm an Oz soldier. Your enemy. Now that you know, you have no reason to let me live. I will accept whatever course of action you take," she said, throwing her life into Trowa's hands.

Trowa's eyes jerked up. His mind fumbled for what to say. He opened his mouth, then hesitated. Closing it, he turned on his heel and all but ran out of the room.

Tiana let out her breath slowly. _He doesn't want me to die,_ she thought. _I could hear him think it._ She shook her head to herself, looking up at the ceiling. She drew a long, slow breath and let it out again just as slowly. She closed her eyes and relaxed her body. _What's done is done. He knew. He looked at the files before I did. Yet he didn't take any action against me. By now they all must know._ Her mind tormented her. Her thoughts laying on the past and the possible futures. Tears formed in her eyes. _Why did they have to do this to me?_ A single tear broke loose and cascaded down her cheek. _Why?_

*****

Trowa stood in the hall, shaking. _I heard her, in my mind,_ he thought in disbelief.


	3. Echoes of Vengence

Chapter Three

Echoes of Vengeance

Tiana lay in a white hospital room, covered only by a thick, white blanket. An oxygen mask was strapped over her nose and mouth. IV's hung from rods down into her arms, keeping her asleep and away from pain.

Trowa stood back. _I could've stopped him,_ he thought. _If I had moved faster she wouldn't be dying._ There were so many "ifs." He thought of nearly every one as he watched the steady rise and fall of Tiana's chest. _She's so pale. She doesn't deserve this. Not after what she's been through._ Tiana's body moved as if to roll over, then stopped. Her mouth opened slightly as if to let out a scream. He squeezed his eyes shut. _Tiana, _his mind cried out. _Tiana, don't die!_

In front of Trowa's eyes flashed the events of the past day. Everything had happened so fast. 

*****

As Trowa leaned against the wall, shaking, Quatre stood up from where he sat, across from the door. Trowa didn't notice him for a long time. He looked up to find Quatre studying him.

"What happened, Trowa?" Quatre asked quietly.

Trowa shook his head. "I'm not quite sure."

The door hissed open and Tiana walked out. She stopped and looked at Trowa. Both pilots turned toward her. No one said a thing for a few moments.

"I…guess I should leave you two alone," Quatre said, a touch of jest in his voice. Silently he crept back down the hall. 

Tiana and Trowa didn't seem to notice. Perhaps they didn't. After a few moments, Tiana looked down at her feet, then back at Trowa. "I want to… apologize…for frightening you."

Trowa shook his head, still in a slight daze. "How did you do that?"

"I'm not quite sure," Tiana said, seeming to look past Trowa. "I only know that it has to do with why I was imprisoned."

"What happened? What do you mean?" Trowa asked.

"I'd rather not say it," Tiana started. Trowa's shoulders sagged. "here," she finished. "If we could go somewhere else…"

Trowa brightened and led her off to a small conference room. They sat down together and Tiana began her story. How she had grown up with the Peacecrafts and then lost touch with them after the Sanc Kingdom fell. How she had wandered the streets in England and found herself as a part of an Earth based rebel group. Her training with them and her capture at Lake Victoria. 

She told him how she had trained along side Zechs and Noin, falling just short of them in scores. She explained how she had been chosen by Oz for "Special Forces operations" and how that eventually led to the failed experiment. Trough all of this, Trowa sat silently, almost in disbelief.

Trowa could say nothing in response, but soon found himself telling his own story. Being raised as a soldier. Nanashi. Midii. The traitors of his group that had joined the Federation. How he had made it into space and received his name along with Gundam Heavyarms. He told all about Operation Meteor and how he had come to know the four other Gundam pilots. How, after trying to stop Quatre's madness, Catherine had found him wandering a colony without any memory. 

The two sat in the conference room, sharing their pasts, bonding to each other with ties that neither had known before. They each knew something about the other that few, if any, people knew. As the hours ticked away they each said their good-byes and departed, going their separate ways.

__

His past is so full of heartache, that's why he pretends to be so cold, Tiana thought as she walked away from Trowa.

__

She's a strong woman. Even Wufei could respect the kind of courage it took for her to survive, Trowa thought as he retreated to his room.

*****

Tiana laid in her bed, exhausted, but still awake. Images of her newly revealed past floated in her mind, bringing back every emotion she had ever felt. Desperately, she tried to build up walls to block the pain out, but somehow, Trowa had made it so she couldn't. "Damn you, Trowa," she said quietly, half-heartedly. 

After a few moments, Tiana heard a soft knock on her door. "Come," she said, barely audible, but the door opened anyway. Noin stood there shocked for a moment. Without looking up, Tiana said quietly, "Lucrezia."

"How…?" Noin started.

Tiana sat up and looked at her through tired eyes. "Don't ask, it's a long story."

Noin walked into the room, holding an old picture in her hand. She held it out hesitantly toward Tiana. "It's been a long time," she said, trying to start a conversation. 

Tiana nodded absently, looking at the picture. "Too long," she agreed. Tears began to burn in her eyes as she looked at the picture of her, Noin, and Zechs. Noin sat down next to her. Swallowing, Tiana blinked the tears away.

"How is he," Tiana asked.

Noin looked down sadly. "Commander Milliardo Peacecraft," she said as if reciting information. "Leader of the White Fang."

Tiana looked up at her, shocked. "Why did he do that."

Noin shook her head, "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Hn." Tiana looked back down at the picture in her hand.

*****

On the way to his room, Trowa ran into Duo. "Hey Trowa," Duo said, trying to be cheerful. Trowa looked at him. Duo's shoulder's sagged and he sighed.

Trowa took a deep breath, making a weak attempt at being, if not as cheerful, at least courteous to Duo. "Hello, Duo."

Duo grinned, "Well, it's better than Heero and Wufei. Those two are as crabby as ever. Heero's tinkering around with that Virgo carrier we recovered. I don't know what he wants that thing for, but…"

Trowa chuckled quietly. Duo looked at him quizzically. "Hey, Trowa, are you ok."

The corners of Trowa's lips turned up ever so slightly. Duo looked ready to collapse. "I'm fine, Duo." Trowa started forward. "Good night, Duo."

Duo watched Trowa go with wide eyes. _Next thing ya' know, Heero will be running around and laughing,_ Duo thought, walking away, half expecting Heero to bounce around a corner grinning like a maniac. He shook his head and laughed at the image that produced.

*****

"Hey Howard," Sally said, watching Heero mess with the Virgo carrier. "What do you think about Tiana?"

"I don't know," Howard said, shaking his head. "She might be able to help us, if she's willing."

"If you ask me," Wufei said, poking his head around the leg of the Taurus suit, "she's nothing but trouble."

"She did help us get out of MO-2, Wufei," Heero stated. Wufei looked up at him, about to say something. "And she fought off fifty Leos with that thing." He gestured to the Taurus.

Wufei grunted. _That doesn't mean anything,_ he thought stubbornly. _Yes it does, ugh._ Wufei resisted the urge to throw his hands up in frustration. _I'm going mad,_ he thought.

*****

Covered by the white hospital blanket, Tiana's body began to shake. Trowa leapt to life, taking the blanket and pulling it up around her bare shoulders. _Tiana,_ he thought tenderly. 

Trowa reached out his hand, holding it just over Tiana's forehead. He could feel the heat coming off her. As tears began to form in his eyes, he lowered his hand to rest on her forehead, brushing her sweat-soaked bangs aside. As he began to stroke her long, loose hair, Tiana's shaking subsided.

__

If only I had been there sooner, Tiana. I'm so sorry.

*****

Vai sat at a table in the cafeteria. He rubbed his eyes, taking a sip of his coffee. "Vai," he heard someone say. He looked up to see a tall, husky man standing over him. "Hey, are you ok?" the man asked.

"Yeah," Vai said, clearing his throat, setting his coffee down and making himself sit up right. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure, buddy? You look a little out of it," The man said.

"Luca," Vai snapped, "I'm fine."

Luca raised his eyebrows. "Whatever," he huffed, sitting down across from Vai. 

"I'm sorry, man…" Vai started.

"Don't bother, Vai. You just saw the woman who killed your brother. I understand," Luca said, as sincere as a man of his build can get.

"Yeah," Vai said, looking down. "You know…" Vai raised his hand and slammed it down on the table, shaking his head. "Six years I've looked for that damn woman." He looked up at Luca. "SIX YEARS! And now, she comes waltzing onto the ship I work on, claiming that she doesn't remember a damn thing and somehow gets the sympathy of those bloody gundam pilots." Vai huffed. He opened his mouth to say something. Luca put his hand on Vai's.

Luca shook his head. "Don't do anything here, Vai. You'll get yourself killed. Especially since the gundam pilots have their eyes on her."

"They're just kids. I will get her back for my brother." Vai began to breathe heavily, a glint of insanity shown in his eyes.

"Vai…" Luca started. "Vai, think of how many people have made the mistake of underestimating those 'kids.' If you're lucky, you may get a shot off. But they'll find you. You're on a space ship, Vai. There's no where to hide."

Vai looked madly at Luca. He stood up. "I will kill her," he said. "I will give her what she deserves. And I will kill anyone who gets in my way."

Vai stormed out of the cafeteria, nearly plowing into Trowa in the process. Trowa seemed to shrug it off. Vai glared as Trowa entered the cafeteria. _Don't get in my way, boy,_ he warned silently.

Vai turned on his heel toward the bridge of Peacemillion. Though there were few out in the halls at this time, those who were steered clear of the angry soldier. 

Sitting down heavily at his post on the bridge he stared at his controls, remembering the night his brother died.

*****

"Vai," the ten-year-old Hal whispered to his sixteen-year-old brother. "Vai, I'm scared. I don't want to go."

Vai knelt down next to Hal, looking him in the eye. "Tiana will take care of you, Hal. You'll be ok." Vai looked above Hal to Tiana who was leaning casually against a wall. He looked back at Hal. "Just do what we planed. I wish I could go to…but I'll be helping you from over here." Vai stood up, patting his younger brother on the head and messing up his hair. Hal grinned and attempted to smooth down his hair. 

"Thanks, Vai," Hal said, looking up at Vai.

"Now go on and get ready. I'll see you when you get back." Vai watched as Hal left the cement room.

Tiana looked up at Vai. "You seem confident that everything will go as planned."

Vai glared at Tiana. _She's been Jazon's favorite since the beginning,_ he thought angrily. "It will go as planned," he growled. He grinned sadistically. "Because, if anything happens to Hal," he raised his eyebrows in mock kindness, "You had better not come back."

Tiana was unfazed. "Jazon can't protect you forever, Tiana Moore," Vai continued. "The only reason you're even going on this mission is because you beat me once in the sims. Once." Tiana's expression took on an air of victory at Vai's admission. Vai's face tightened. "Don't think for one moment that I would hesitate to kill you if it didn't mean endangering my brother."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Tiana said dryly, looking levelly at Vai.

*****

Vai tightened his fists as beads of sweat popped out of his forehead. He clenched his teeth to stop himself from growling. _She will pay,_ he thought angrily. _If it's the last thing I do, I will make her pay for killing my brother. _

*****

"How's the princess," Tiana asked. She had been avoiding that question for a full hour since Noin had come into her room.

"Relena?" Tiana nodded. "I don't know. She's being held prisoner on Libra right now. I'm expecting that Heero will go get her soon."

Tiana took the information silently. "You still feel like it's your responsibility to watch after those two, huh?" Noin asked.

Tiana nodded. "They're the only reason I survived my childhood. I guess it's true…old habits die hard." Tiana managed a weak smile.

Noin looked at her. "Don't worry about them. Zechs is still looking after Relena no matter what. Plus, she's got Heero watching out for her now, even if she won't admit it."

"But who's looking after Zechs?" Tiana asked.

__

I am, Noin thought. "He's got the White Fang and luck with him. He'll be just fine. I'm sure."

"Thanks Lucrezia."

Noin smiled, standing up. "Get some rest, Tiana. You look like you need it."

Tiana grinned. "Good night."

"Good night," Noin said as she walked out of the room.

After exiting the room she headed off toward the bridge. _She seems so sad. I wish I could help her…somehow._

*****

Tiana laid back in her bed, grateful that she and Noin had talked. It felt good talking with an old friend. She had been free to talk about things that she had kept hidden inside of her…things that only a friend would understand. Things she hadn't been able to tell Trowa.

Tiana let her body relax as she imagined the beaches of her home. _Earth,_ she thought, _will I ever see it again?_

*****

Quatre walked down a hall of Peacemillion headed away the bridge. Distracted by what he was holding, he barely noticed Noin walking past him. "Hello, Miss Noin," he mumbled.

"Hello Quatre," Noin answered. "What are you reading?"

"Huh? Oh, this," Quatre said, slightly distracted. "Personnel files. There are a couple people who are taking Miss Moore somewhat…negatively."

"'Negatively'?" Noin asked. "You mean they hate her or they don't trust her?"

"Both I guess," Quatre answered. "I'm just checking to see if any of them have had run-ins with her in the past."

"Good luck," Noin said as she continued on her way.

"Thanks," Quatre mumbled, already absorbed in what he was reading.

*****

The bridge was completely silent when Noin entered except for the occasional beeping of instruments and a low muttering from one of the soldiers. Noin shivered a little from the cool air as she leaned back against a wall.

She sighed inwardly and closed her eyes. _It's been so long since I've seen her. She's changed so much. She's so cold._

A quiet grunt drew Noin's attention to her surroundings. She opened her eyes just in time to see an angry soldier turn away from her in his seat. She unfolded her arms and walked to stand behind him.

"Can I help you soldier?" She asked in a firm voice.

The man turned around. Sweat glistened on his forehead. _You could die._ "No, ma'am."

Noin looked at the man a moment longer before speaking. "What's your name and rank, soldier?"

The man swallowed nervously, but his eyes glistened with an insane anger. "Tech-sergeant Vai, ma'am," he answered coldly, his eyes turning to ice. _If you get in my way woman I'll kill you too._

The two looked at eachother for a moment. _Is he one of the people Quatre was talking about? What is he up to?_

A tall, husky man bumped into Noin's shoulder, taking her eyes away from Vai. "Excuse me, ma'am."

Vai held back a sigh of relief as Luca came into his filed of vision. He looked up at Luca, then back at Noin who was returning to her wall. _Damn woman._

Luca tapped him on the shoulder. "Go ahead. I'll take over here," he said in a barely audible whisper.

"Are you sure?" Vai asked in the same volume.

"The guards change in twenty-three minutes. That should give you enough time to get ready."

"Thanks, Luca," Vai said, standing up.

Luca sat down in his place. "Just don't screw up."

Vai walked off the bridge with one glance at Noin who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

Once Vai left, Luca moved his elbow on the consul and felt something give way under it's weight. He grinned.

*****

__

What are those two up to? Noin thought as she watched the exchange between Vai and the husky man. _They're keeping their conversation so quiet. What are they hiding?_ Vai stalked past Noin, out of the bridge. Her eyes followed him. She turned to look at the husky man. He was grinning.

__

Vai, huh? I should find Quatre and see if this could have anything to do with Tiana.

In front of her and to her left a soldier began to toy with his headphones and controls. He twisted around in his chair. "Uh, Miss Noin."

"What is it??" Noin asked, unfolding her arms and taking a step forward.

"It's Major Sally. She says she needs to talk with you," the soldier reported. "She says it's urgent. She's in the sub-bridge with Howard."

"Tell her I'm on my way," Noin said. She started for the door. As the door began to open she heard a soft click. Reflexively she jumped back. The instant she moved a bomb went off, knocking her off balance.

*****

Quatre looked up from his papers. _Miss Noin?_

*****

Tiana bolted up in her bed. _What happened? _Her mind echoed from an explosion. _Lucrezia?_

*****

Noin looked up to see the smoke begin to settle. _What was that?_ She steadied herself and turned to see the husky man pulling out a gun. Instantly her gun was in her hand and a bullet from it knocked the man's gun to the ground. He looked up at her in surprise.

"Who are you?" She demanded, looking him in the eye, daring him to move. He returned her stare with cold eyes. She clenched her teeth. "Restrain him," she ordered. Two of the other soldiers drew their guns and held the man at gunpoint. Noin lowered her gun.

As she walked off the bridge she heard one of the soldiers mutter, "What were you thinking, Luca? Are you out of your mind?"

"Hn." Noin stalked away to find Quatre, not even thinking of putting away her gun. _Howard and Sally will know soon enough, but I can bet they're not in the sub-bridge right now,_ Noin thought as she hurried past startled personnel.

*****

Quatre turned and began to run toward the bridge. _What on earth could have happened?_ Dodging the people who were beginning to come into the halls to change shifts Quatre nearly ran headlong into Noin as he turned a corner.

"Miss Noin! What happened?" Quatre asked.

"Let me see those files of yours, Quatre," Noin demanded, hardly noticing Quatre's question.

"L...T...V...Vai. Tech-sergeant Vai," she thought out loud, rummaging through the files. "His younger brother was killed at Lake Victoria six years ago. Tiana was there," she mused. "That has to be it."

*****

Tiana stood up and then sat back down. Her head spun. _Why now?_ she thought. _Come on, get up._ Tiana stood back up and steadied herself. Not bothering to turn a light on she tugged on her boots and headed for the door. The door hissed open. The light in the hall blinded her, creating a silhouette that blocked her path. _Trowa!_

*****

Trowa held his cup of coffee in shaky hand. _What were those two talking about before I came? Why was the one so angry? I'm sure they're up to no good._ Trowa didn't relax even after the larger man left. 

Looking into the deep brown of his coffee his mind reflected on the past few days. All he could think about was Tiana. He shook his head. He had to think about what was coming, what he was fighting for. He thought about what would happen to Tiana if she was recaptured by Oz. _Stop it Trowa._

For a minute or two Trowa let his head rest on the palm of his left hand. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. After a while he gave up and started to stand, picking up his coffee to take a sip.

_Trowa!_ Trowa dropped the mug and it shattered on the floor spilling its contents. The thought was not his own. _Tiana! TIANA! I'm coming._ He took off as fast as he could down the halls. _Where are you Tiana?_ he thought, not really expecting an answer.

Her room. The knowledge came to him as if someone had shouted it through the halls. He raced to her room. _ She's in danger._

*****

Tiana backed away from the door. "Who are you?"

"You don't remember me, Tiana Moore?" the man asked in mock disappointment. Tiana shook her head. The man grinned, then his face hardened as he stepped into her room. The light of the stars glanced off his cold eyes. "I remember you, all too well."

"Vai?!" Tiana breathed. Vai raised his gun and clicked off the safety. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you killed my brother, dammit!" Vai screamed, close to tears. The door shut behind him as he took another step forward.

"Vai..."

Tiana's eyes widened. She couldn't breathe. Her ears rang with a sharp echo of...something. After a moment of shock she felt a surge of pain. Suddenly she felt she was dying. Her eyes squeezed shut as she let the pain roll over her. Her head snapped back. Dimly, she could feel her jaw pulsing. Terrified and frantic, Tiana reached out with her mind and grabbed hold of Vai. She fell to her knees, her head dizzy with lack of oxygen. She felt like she was drowning as blood began to bubble up in her mouth. Vai crumpled up into a ball, dropping his gun as the pain Tiana felt overwhelmed his senses. _She's paying. That's all that matters. She's paying for what she did,_ Vai thought as he tried not to move.

*****

Quatre's breath caught in his lungs and he doubled over. "Quatre!" Noin yelped, dropping the files. "Quatre, are you alright?"

Quatre moaned in pain. "Miss Moore. She's...dying," he said through clenched teeth.

Noin gasped.

"Go," he demanded, struggling to regain his composure. Noin ran. Quatre started off toward the medical room.

*****

Trowa staggered near Tiana's door, gasping for air. He caught onto the wall. _What the...?_ He drew himself up and took out his gun, pushing himself into Tiana's dark room.

Even by the dim starlight he couldn't see anyone. _Tiana?_ He heard a soft moan. His breath caught as he noticed a dark figure kneeling and bent over. Her long hair identified her for him in the dark, hanging ragged over her shoulders and creating a curtain to hide her face.

"Tiana," he whispered as he darted over to where she was. He put a hand on her shoulder and she raised her head. Their eyes locked. "Tiana!" With one last struggle for breath her eyes rolled back and closed. She sagged limply in Trowa's arms. "Tiana," he whispered hoarsely, "who did this?"

It was then he heard a grunt from behind him and a shuffle of someone standing up. Trowa turned and fired without even looking to see who it was. The man went down with a bullet in his shoulder; his gun dropped out of his hand.

Trowa's eyes blazed with a cold fire as he stood over the man on the ground. He aimed his gun at the man's head, tightening his finger on the trigger. The man looked up at Trowa in fear as the door swished open.

"Trowa, don't!" Noin ordered.

Trowa looked up at her. "He killed her," he said, his voice flat and stoic. "I will kill him."

Noin grabbed his arm. "Let him face a court martial, Trowa." Trowa shrugged her hand off his arm and clicked the safety off his gun. Noin shook her head. "I thought you had more honour than that, Trowa. To kill an enemy who is defenseless. I thought..."

Trowa placed the boot on his right foot on the man's throat. The man's hand grabbed Trowa's ankle as he pressed down. "If you so much as twitch, I won't hesitate to shoot."

Noin sighed in relief. The door swished open again as medics rushed in, followed closely by Quatre. Two medics hurried over to Tiana and another to the man on the floor. Quatre stood next to Noin.

"Trowa, what happened?" Quatre asked.

"I don't know," Trowa said, tears stinging his eyes. "I got here and both of them were on the ground."

"She's still alive," one of the medics gasped.

"Yeah, but not for long if we don't get her on oxygen real soon," another of the medics retorted.

"Let's go," the first medic said and both men hefted Tiana's body onto a stretcher in the hall. The other medic was helping the man stand, or more accurately, pulling him up with one hands as his other held a gun to the man's temple.

"Move it," the last medic said as he pushed the man out into the hall.

"I'm so sorry, Trowa," Quatre said after the door had closed. The room was lit with a blue glow from the stars. Trowa looked at where Tiana had been. The carpet was dark. He tried not to think of what was on it.

Trowa closed his eyes. "Trowa," Noin started. Quatre put a restraining hand on her arm.

"Just leave him alone," Quatre whispered softly.

Trowa spun on his heel and stalked out of the room.

*****

Trowa closed his eyes as he recalled that moment. Quatre had told him what he had found out from Vai, the man who shot Tiana. _I'm sorry, Tiana,_ he thought as he had countless times in the past twelve hours. _I'm so sorry._

*****

Heero looked up from his work. _Finished,_ he thought, examining the Virgo carrier. There was still a good deal of damage to the port-side rudder and drive power, but it wasn't at risk of exploding and it would do for the trip he had planned.

Heero looked around the hangar, noting for the first time that no one else was there. He got up and brushed himself off. Just then Noin entered the hangar.

"Heero," she called, unable to see him.

"What is it?" Heero called back. He jumped down from his perch, landing in front of Noin.

"Trowa is still in the medical room with Tiana," she stated.

"So."

"So, I figured maybe you would be a friend and try to talk some sense into him."

Heero looked blankly at her.

"Heero, Trowa helped you when you needed it," Noin said after a moment of silence. "He needs your help now, but in a different way."

"Where are the others?"

"Quatre and Wufei are in the cafeteria. I don't know where Duo is, but they've all gone in there and tried to bring Trowa out. Now it's your turn, Heero."

"Alright," Heero finally complied.

*****

Heero walked swiftly through the halls of Peacemillion toward the medical room, for some reason remembering when he and Duo had escaped from the Alliance hospital. He shook his head and entered the room.

As the door swished closed behind him he saw Trowa withdraw his hand from Tiana's. His hand tightened into a fist at his side.

"How is she?" Heero asked, trying to be sensitive, as much as was possible.

"The doctor's say she has a good chance," Trowa stated, not looking at the other boy.

"I'm going out on the Virgo carrier, so if anybody asks, tell them I've gone to fight Zechs," Heero stated, not quite knowing what to say. Trowa nodded absently. Heero turned to leave. _So, I figured maybe you would be a friend and try to talk some sense into him,_ Noin's words echoed in his mind.

Heero stopped and turned back to Trowa. He hesitated a moment before speaking. "Wufei and Quatre are in the cafeteria." He paused for a long time. "Maybe you should join them."

Trowa bowed his head, his back still to Heero. Taking that as a 'no' Heero silently left. Trowa opened his eyes, tears threatening to spill over. He shook his head. _Why am I doing this? Heero's right. I'll go join the guys._ He stood and turned, taking a last backwards glance at Tiana's sleeping form. With a little more hesitation he left the room and headed for the cafeteria.

Inside the two other boys were silent, absorbed in simple, mindless activities. Trowa picked up a magazine and tried hard to focus on it, not really seeing the pages. His mind kept wandering to the woman in the room he had just left. _Tiana, I'm so sorry._

A/N: I know this is a bit of a cliff-hangar, but it's all I've got so far. I'm a bit preoccupied with other fics but I will get back to this one as soon as I'm done or as soon as my ideas run out. :P then the ppl reading my other fics can crucify me. *shrug* I do have an idea for the next (last) chapter so it shouldn't be too long until it's up. Thanks for reading and I'm really sorry.


End file.
